CAST:Ridhima Sud, Sumeet Vyas, Meenu Hooda, Kuldeep Ruhil
DIRECTION:Madhureeta Anand
GENRE:Drama
DURATION:2 hours 12 minutes
STORY : Meera (Ridhima Sud), a reporter with a leading daily, uncovers a gruesome case of female infanticide during an assignment. A local lady Kajraya (Meenu Hooda) has killed over 100 baby girls. The story traces Kajarya's transition from a murderer to a wise woman.
REVIEW : Kajarya is a lethal film that has its heart in the right place. It is both engrossing and abhorrent, addressing the issue of female infanticide with an astute understanding of the subject. Director Madhureeta Anand's story is backed by solid research and her empathetic stance allows her to dive headlong into the issue to provide a more holistic view. The titular character is a creation of the society, an institutionalized scapegoat to validate female infanticide. This is established early on in the film as Kajarya in her opium-induced state is handed over newly-born babies to be killed. In a scene much later, Kajarya says 'Mere toh bas haath hi they. Saza toh unke bachiyon ke maa-baap ne pehle hi suna di thi.'
REVIEW : Kajarya is a lethal film that has its heart in the right place. It is both engrossing and abhorrent, addressing the issue of female infanticide with an astute understanding of the subject. Director Madhureeta Anand's story is backed by solid research and her empathetic stance allows her to dive headlong into the issue to provide a more holistic view. The titular character is a creation of the society, an institutionalized scapegoat to validate female infanticide. This is established early on in the film as Kajarya in her opium-induced state is handed over newly-born babies to be killed. In a scene much later, Kajarya says 'Mere toh bas haath hi they. Saza toh unke bachiyon ke maa-baap ne pehle hi suna di thi.'
It is interesting how Madhureeta juxtaposes two different worlds - that of Kajarya's with Delhi's elite circles. The rudimentary chauvinistic thinking never ceases to follow women. Over a dinner party, Meera is told by the who's-who women 'ek ladka hi vansh ko aage badha sakta hai'.
The director smartly segregates her woman characters, and yet keeping them both equally potent and flawed. Ridhima plays Mira with a certain vulnerability, but it is Meenu whose understated performance has the menacing power. Madhureeta is sharp enough to turn moral tables and make you root for the slayer Kajarya over the aggressive 'moralistic' reporter. What are the moral ethics of journalism, afterall?
With so much going for the film, it isn't so faultless. Technical glitches aside, the story meanders in the second hour. The men are singularly villainified! You will be moved in many scenes but that doesn't culminate into a wholesome viewing experience. The characters never latch to you and hence it is easy to remain unaffected by the dramatic ending. It is unmistakably depressing and the documentary approach makes it feel like a drag.
The director smartly segregates her woman characters, and yet keeping them both equally potent and flawed. Ridhima plays Mira with a certain vulnerability, but it is Meenu whose understated performance has the menacing power. Madhureeta is sharp enough to turn moral tables and make you root for the slayer Kajarya over the aggressive 'moralistic' reporter. What are the moral ethics of journalism, afterall?
With so much going for the film, it isn't so faultless. Technical glitches aside, the story meanders in the second hour. The men are singularly villainified! You will be moved in many scenes but that doesn't culminate into a wholesome viewing experience. The characters never latch to you and hence it is easy to remain unaffected by the dramatic ending. It is unmistakably depressing and the documentary approach makes it feel like a drag.
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